IND v AUS, 2nd ODI Review: Kuldeep hattrick, Chahal’s finesse give India 2-0 lead

Kuldeep Yadav became the third Indian bowler to pick a hattrick in ODIs in a low-scoring game in Kolkata. Kapil Dev was the last man to do it in 1991, three years before Yadav was born. His three consecutive wickets turned the match on its head and paved the way for a 50-run win for the hosts.

Spin-twins shine again

Kuldeep and Yuzvendra Chahal were the most talked about players leading up to the series and both wrist spinners showed their mettle once again, vindicating their selection by bowling contrasting but effective spells. The duo, once again, picked up 5 wickets between themselves and gave away just 88 runs in 20 overs of high-class spin bowling. The Australians had a tough time facing the tweakers, especially Chahal who was remarkable in his control in greasy conditions at the Eden Gardens.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar was the one to start the slide, dismissing both openers in his first spell. He swung the ball and bowled in the right channels to rock the top order. David Warner, the most destructive batsman going around in world cricket, was very tentative against the swinging ball and eventually edged one to second slip. With Australia 9 for 2, Smith and Travis Head provided stability to the innings by sewing a 76-run stand for the second wicket. Just when the innings was coming back on track, Head hit a knee-high full toss off Chahal straight into the laps of Manish Pandey at midwicket.

Maxwell arrived and hit his 3rd and 4th ball for sixes to intimidate Kuldeep Yadav. Kohli quickly turned to pace and kept Chahal on from the other end. The leg-spinner was in a middle of a brilliant spell, bamboozling the likes of Smith, who is hailed one of the best batsmen in the world at the moment. It was about time before Maxwell took Chahal on but the latter foxed him by cramping him for room before Dhoni whipped the stumps off.

Smith, Stoinis fifties in vain

Smith batted positively at the other end as wickets kept tumbling around him. He found an ally in Marcus Stoinis, who was playing only in his 5th game. Australia were never behind the asking rate, it was a question of keeping the wickets intact. After making a fine half-century, Smith fell to a short ball off Pandya at a very crucial juncture leaving the side 5 down for 138 with more 20 overs left in the chase. It was Kuldeep’s turn to make an impact as he swept through the lower middle order to grab a hattrick in his only 9th ODI. Mathew Wade, Ashton Agar, and Pat Cummins were the victims, all very capable batsmen. Stoinis was still going strong at the other end, completing his half-century with a huge six that hit the sightscreen. He kept his side in it by playing the big shots but couldn’t find support from the other end.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar, after fielding for 32 overs in the outfield, came on to bowl his second spell and picked the last wicket of the visiting side off the first delivery of his spell. He finished the game with dream figures of 3/9 off 6.1 overs. India defended a below-par total courtesy some brilliant skillful bowling at a packed Eden Gardens.

Kohli’s 92 kept India together

Skipper Kohli held the Indian innings together in quest of vindicating his decision to bat first. After the early fall of Rohit Sharma, Kohli added 102 runs with Rahane to steady the innings before the latter was run out in the 22nd over. This was the only major partnership in the Indian innings as wickets kept falling and India could muster just 131 runs in 24.2 overs after Rahane’s departure. It was Kohli’s 92 which propelled India to a fighting score. Kedar Jadhav (24), Hardik Pandya (20) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s (20) contributions were also significant in the latter overs.

For Australia, Nathan Coulter-Nile was the pick of the bowlers again, returning with figures of 3/51. Richardson, playing his first game of the series, bowled well to finish with 3/55. By virtue of this win, India moved closer to the top of the pile in the ODI rankings as they are behind South Africa by decimals. The Men in Blue are gelling well as a team and each member is aware of their role in the side which is always critical.

Brief Scores

India – 252 all out in 50 overs (Virat Kohli 92, Ajinkya Rahane 55, Nathan Coulter-Nile 3/51)

Australia – 202 all out in 43.1 overs (Marcus Stoinis 62*, Bhuvneshwar Kumar 3/9, Kuldeep Yadav 3/54).